Sustainable Food Focus Added to Eco-Schools USA Program

June 21 – Talk about ‘pink slime’ and whether pizza is a vegetable underscores an unmistakable trend: Americans are thinking long and hard about whether the food their kids get at school is healthy and well-sourced.

To that end, the Obama administration announced changes to government-subsidized school meals in January, adding more fruits and green vegetables to breakfasts and lunches among other changes. It was significant, but just one in a long list of necessary reforms–not the least of which is an increased emphasis on teaching kids about where their food comes from, where it is going and how it impacts the world around them.

Michigan, Ohio Should Strengthen Laws on Fracking, Says New NWF Report

June 21 – A new legal analysis by the National Wildlife Federation finds that laws in Michigan and Ohio need to be improved to protect the region’s streams, rivers, lakes, and wildlife from the risks of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” Energy companies use this controversial technique to extract natural gas from fine-grained shale, injecting a mix of water, chemicals, and sand into a well at high pressures to crack open the rock. The natural gas then flows out into the well and is captured aboveground.

Fracking has raised significant environmental concerns, including the potential for impacts on water quality and water-dependent natural resources.

Farm Bill Victory: Senate Closes Loophole to Protect Wetlands, Soil and Wildlife Habitat

June 20 – The Senate is expected to soon pass its version of the 2012 Farm Bill, which now includes a provision sponsored by Senator Chambliss (R-GA) to close a loophole that would have eliminated vital conservation safeguards on farmlands.

Amendment #2438, which re-attaches basic soil and water conservation measures to premium subsidies for federal crop insurance, was accepted by a vote of 52-47. The amendment was supported by more than a hundred sportsmen, conservationist and farm groups from across the country.

Julie Sibbing, Director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs at the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

“Attaching basic conservation measures to federal subsidies for crop insurance is good for taxpayers, good for wildlife and good for the long term health of America’s farmlands. We are gratified that the U.S. Senate has voted to continue the longstanding conservation compact between farmers and taxpayers.

Historic Senate Vote Supports Clean Air and Water

June 20 – Senator James Inhofe demanded a vote today to overrule historic safeguards championed by the Environmental Protection Agency that would greatly reduce mercury and other air toxic pollution. Inhofe’s bill, SJ Res 37, was defeated by a vote of 46-53.

SJ Res 37 was brought to the Senate floor using the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The CRA is a rarely used measure because it can permanently block action of major national importance. NWF has said the Inhofe CRA resolution is a wrecking ball that would permanently prevent national standards for mercury and air toxics. The new mercury limits were decades in the making, and heavily supported by public health professionals, sportsmen, and conservation groups. It is expected to save thousands of lives while improving wildlife habitat and creating jobs.

Congress Continues to Undermine Clean Water, Healthy Wetlands; House Interior Appropriations Bill Latest to Take Aim

June 20 – The Izaak Walton League of America, National Wildlife Federation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Trout Unlimited issued the following statement today opposing a Clean Water Act rider in the House Interior Appropriations Bill:

“Over the past two weeks, both chambers in Congress have taken aim at the Clean Water Act with a flurry of amendments that undermine hunting, angling, and outdoor recreation traditions along with the economic activity driven by these sports. From appropriations and other bills in the House to amendments proposed to the Senate Farm Bill, protections for streams, wetland habitat, and drinking water for 117 million Americans are under attack.”

Bad Border Bill Puts Iconic Wildlife, Lands and Waters in Danger

June 19 – The U.S. House of Representatives today is expected to pass a package of public lands bills (H.R. 2578) which includes a provision put forth by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) that sacrifices clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat and waterways.

The National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act would create a non-compliance “operational zone” where conservation and environmental laws are allowed to be ignored on public lands within 100 miles of a U.S. land border. This gives U.S. Customs and Border Protection the ability to circumvent 16 laws, including the Endangered Species Act, Wilderness Act, and National Environmental Policy Act.

Jim Lyon, Vice President for Conservation Policy for the National Wildlife Federation said today:

“This legislation is an outright attack on America’s public lands. By allowing border officials to sidestep environmental checks and balances, this provision could turn some of our most wild and scenic public lands into construction sites, crisscrossed with roads and fences.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• The Boston Globe: The Great American Backyard Campout gets local families back outside
• Forbes: Lawyer Charles Carreon Suing The Oatmeal, American Cancer Society and National Wildlife Federation
• E&E Daily: In unexpected move, Senate votes to tie conservation to crop insurance  (subscription required)
• E&E Daily: GOP omnibus gets partisan support in House; Senate action not expected (subscription required)
• Field&Stream: Why 2 Bills Introduced to the House Are Bad for Sportsmen
• Bozeman Daily Chronicle: Supreme Court says drilling permits got OK review
• Centreville Patch: It’s Official: Centreville Elementary’s a ‘Green School’ 

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

This is a guest post by Sara Gosman, a water resources attorney for National Wildlife Federation.

In the past few years, the Great Lakes region has seen a surge of interest in natural gas development using hydraulic fracturing. This controversial technique—commonly known as “fracking”—injects a mix of water, chemicals, and sand at high pressures to break open shale. Natural gas and liquids then move into the well and up to the surface.

Fracking of shallow wells has occurred in Michigan for over 30 years. But the recent interest is in fracking of deep wells, which can extend more than a mile below the surface and up to two miles horizontally. Fracking of deep wells requires more water, more chemicals, and greater pressure on the well itself. Thus, these wells pose more risks for water resources.

Because of these risks, the National Wildlife Federation is particularly concerned about the impact of fracking on the watershed that feeds the Great Lakes—the Great Lakes Basin. So far, only a few deep shale wells have been drilled within the Basin: most are in Michigan while one is in Ohio. But deep shale underlies much of the Basin, and energy companies are looking to “liquids-rich” shale plays that provide both natural gas and liquids. For example, Encana Corporation, which holds 43,000 acres of mineral rights in the Utica/Collingwood play in Michigan, announced to investors in May 2012 that it intends to focus on the Utica/Collingwood, where it contends it has “first mover advantage.”

Today, NWF is releasing a report, Hydraulic Fracturing in the Great Lakes Basin: The State of Play in Michigan and Ohio, on the legal framework governing fracking in these two states. Before any boom in fracking within the Great Lakes Basin, the report aims to assess current laws to determine whether they protect the Basin’s water resources.

In the report, we consider not just the practice of fracking itself, but the entire life cycle of fracking as it relates to water:  from the freshwater needed for fracking; to activities on the well site, including fracking of the well; to the ways in which the wastewater is disposed of.

For each of these three areas, we review the laws in Michigan and Ohio. Because there are very few federal requirements, the report primarily focuses on state law. Indeed, both Michigan and Ohio have recently taken steps to address the risks of fracking. We conclude that the laws in each of the areas address some of the risks of fracking, but that more needs to be done to fully protect the Great Lakes Basin.

Based on our findings, the report offers recommendations to improve the regulatory framework in both states. For example, we suggest that:

• Both states should regulate water withdrawals for fracking under their water use laws and protect all water resources from significant impacts.
• Both states should improve regulation of fracking itself. The states should require fracturing fluid to be tested for contaminants of concern prior to fracking. The states should also require a well operator to submit a list of potential chemicals in the fluid prior to fracking. After fracking, the operator should submit a list of the chemicals actually used.
• Both states should require disposal wells that accept flowback to meet some of the critical requirements imposed on wells that accept other forms of industrial wastewater. In addition, the federal government or the states should require that flowback be treated as hazardous waste if it has hazardous characteristics.

I want to thank the law students who worked with me on the report and the Environmental Law and Policy Program at the University of Michigan Law School for its academic support of the grant project. The views in the report are the National Wildlife Federation’s.

The issue of fracking generates a lot of heated debate, but not always a lot of light. In writing this report, our goal was to shine a light on the issue by thoroughly analyzing the legal framework. My hope is that this assessment will help the states better protect the Great Lakes Basin from the risks of fracking.

Help protect our nation’s wildlife and waterways from fracking.>>>

Natural Gas Drilling (Photo: Helen Slottje)

After the latest quake, a magnitude 4.0 on New Year’s Eve, five wastewater injection wells were shut down including an active injection site in Youngstown, Ohio just 100 meters away from the large tremor.

“While we couldn’t say for sure that there’s a direct causation between the injection well and the earthquakes, we thought it better to be overly cautious,” Andy Ware, deputy director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said.

The wastewater pumped into these wells is a by-product of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”, a process that involves forcing water mixed with sand and other chemicals  underground, which breaks up rock and frees the natural gasses trapped underneath.

Fracking companies are adamant that the earthquakes are not directly related to the drilling itself and drilling should not be affected by these new earthquakes. However, the earthquakes strengthen concerns that there is no safe way to dispose of the fracking waste products.

Thankfully no wildlife or people have been reported hurt in the earthquakes that have occurred so far, but this underscores the risk of fracking to our waters and people. 

The recent earthquakes in Ohio near hydraulic fracturing sites should serve as a wakeup call to citizens and lawmakers alike that wildlife and humans are affected by fracking through damaged habitats and toxic waste. Stronger protections are needed against harm caused by oil and gas development.

It is our job to be the voice for wildlife as well as ourselves. Something needs to be done to increase the regulation of these dangers caused by fracking, and for that to happen citizens need to speak up, contact their representatives, and stay informed.

Take action. Tell Congress to protect our nation’s water and wildlife from the dangerous impacts of hydraulic fracturing.

Bad Ballast Water Bill Threatens America’s Waters and Wildlife

Nov. 15, 2011 – The House of Representatives voted to undermine America’s waters and wildlife by including weak and ineffective ballast water discharge standards in the Coast Guard Reauthorization bill. This legislation rolls out the welcome mat for destructive, invasive species to infiltrate our waters.

“In horror movies, strange creatures invade our waters and threaten people and wildlife. But, the real horror is that this scenario happens every day in the U.S., and this bad ballast water bill makes it easier for invasive species to take over our water bodies,” said Josh Saks, senior legislative representative for water resources campaigns for the National Wildlife Federation.

New Report Explores Hazards of Natural Gas Production on Air, Water and Wildlife Habitats

Nov. 16, 2011 – Natural gas is a part of America’s energy future, but it does not have to become part of this country’s energy failures when it comes to protecting air, water and wildlife habitat. A new National Wildlife Federation report, No More Drilling in the Dark: Exposing the Hazards of Natural Gas Production and Protecting America’s Drinking Water and Wildlife Habitats, delves into the challenges and potential solutions surrounding the unconventional drilling practice known as fracking.

 “Transparency, sensible oversight and reliable safeguards for air, water and wildlife are just commonsense when it comes to drilling for natural gas,” said Todd Keller, senior manager for public lands campaigns for the National Wildlife Federation. “What should be best practices for the industry are also what is best for local communities and wildlife habitat.”

SAFE Act Critical to Confronting Climate Impacts

Nov. 16, 2011 – The Safeguarding America’s Future and Environment (SAFE) Act, requiring federal and state governments to plan for the impacts of climate change by protecting our natural resources, was introduced in the U.S. Senate today. Co-sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), the SAFE Act would take critical steps towards protecting communities and wildlife from climate impacts.

“Climate change is the defining conservation issue of our generation, already forcing our communities and wildlife to confront more frequent and severe droughts, floods, and wildfires,” said Bruce Stein, director of climate change adaptation for the National Wildlife Federation. “The SAFE Act is commonsense legislation that will help us prepare for climate impacts while protecting and enhancing our natural resources.”

(Photo by Brett Weinstein)

Nov. 17, 2011- The Obama administration has unveiled new fuel economy and emissions rules for light duty vehicles. The Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration guidelines cover model years 2017-2025 and begin the formal rule-making process of the agreement in principle announced in July. The standard will be open for additional public comment for 60 days.

“Americans can breathe easier. The win-win car and light truck standards proposed by the Administration today mean cleaner air and better protection for wildlife and America’s natural resource heritage, while taking major steps forward for America’s energy and economic security,” said Joe Mendelson, director of global warming policy for the National Wildlife Federation.

National Wildlife Federation and National Aquarium Formally Join Forces

Nov. 17, 2011 – The National Aquarium and the National Wildlife Federation have joined forces to protect wildlife and water resources for future generations. Approved by unanimous vote at the most recent Board of Directors meeting, the National Aquarium has been selected as the National Wildlife Federation’s Maryland affiliate. This partnership will link conservation efforts from Appalachia, to the Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to align the efforts of this nation’s aquarium with one of its most effective conservation organizations,” said John Racanelli, CEO of the National Aquarium.

And here are a few highlights from NWF in the News:

• Ammoland.com: Sportsmen Criticize Senate Measure Weakening Clean Water Act
• The Sacramento Bee: Jobs for the Future Brings NASA Resources to Community College Green Curricula 
• UPI: NWF pro gas but wants safeguards
• Publicnewsservice.org: Report Questions Environmental Price PA Pays for Fracking

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

Great Outdoors America Week

Streams stocked with brook trout, forests with foraging bears and trees housing cerulean warblers add an interesting mix of wildlife to the George Washington National Forest. There are also lakes, rivers, valleys, mountains and plenty of opportunity for recreation and relaxation. But, all of this natural splendor could be corrupted by the natural gas drilling process known as fracking.

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing a ban on fracking in this great outdoor public space. Take action to protect brook trout and other wildlife from fracking in George Washington National Forest. Developing energy is important and necessary for our way of life, but so is protecting wildlife for future generations. Say no fracking way to fracking in public lands and wild places.

If your office is as quiet as mine take a minute to watch this trailer for an amazing new film on Climate Refugees, and check out the website to find a screening near you.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This week’s stories:

1. Highlight of the Week: Fuel Efficiency Rules! Or, Cleaner Trucks Good for Wildlife, Economy
2. Quote: Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
3. Economic Story of the Week: Think Big, Start Small
4. Editorial of the Week: GOP vs. Mother Nature
5. Drilling On Up
6. Feeling Hot Hot Hot?
7. DOE Panel Calls for Action on Fracking Impacts
8. Happening this Week

Subscribe to the Climate Capsule RSS Feed to have your weekly update delivered automatically!

Highlight of the Week

Fuel Efficiency Rules! Or, Cleaner Trucks Good for Wildlife, Economy

via Flickr/indiwench

President Obama has unveiled the first-ever fuel efficiency standards for medium and heavy duty pickup trucks, vocational trucks, and combination tractors/semis. The proposed National Heavy Duty Program will save Americans $35 billion in fuel costs, cut 98 million barrels of oil consumption annually by 2030 and clear 246 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution from our skies.

“These standards will provide welcome fuel savings, budget relief, and pollution reduction to those who rely on heavy trucks to move America’s goods and people, haul equipment on the job, or tow a boat to the lake,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

Coming on the heels of new standards for cars and light duty trucks, the National Heavy Duty Program would cut fuel consumption across all types of trucks from 2014-2018.

The three sets of standards would cut 639 million metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution annually by 2030 – the equivalent of about 10 percent of America’s carbon footprint today. “That’s a critical step in confronting global warming, the single biggest threat facing America’s wildlife,” said Zoe Lipman, the National Wildlife Federation’s senior manager for transportation and global warming solutions. “The standards will also cut America’s oil consumption by 3.4 million barrels of oil every single day – more than we currently import from Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela combined.”

Check out NWF’s recently released joint report on the economic benefits of fuel efficiency standards.

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Quote:

via Sen. Boxer/Flickr

“They keep trying to overturn the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act. That’s not going to happen.”

-Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

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Economic Story of the Week

Think Big, Start Small

zilowatt.org

While Congress continues to squabble over energy efficient light bulbs a California nonprofit called Zilowatt is spreading energy conservation from the bottom up. The Palo Alto based organization is supplying interactive educational kits to schools this fall for outreach sponsored by the city’s utility departments.

The kits are packed with visual tools that allow students to learn at their own pace and use character superheroes Reuse, Recycle, Reduce and TIO (“Turn It Off”) to share lessons. The group’s goal is to provide materials to any school but they must first recruit a sponsor and a champion within the school to promote the program.

More on this story: NY Times

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Editorial of the Week

GOP vs. Mother Nature

(LA Times)

via Paul Fundenburg/Flickr

They loaded up the appropriations bill that funds the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency with dozens of riders that would encourage deadly pollution of the air and water, set back efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and allow uranium mining near the Grand Canyon, among other things. Such riders are commonplace on annual appropriations bills, but Washington insiders say they’ve never seen such a breathtaking assault on the environment.

If there was any good news from the chaos surrounding this week’s deal to raise the federal debt ceiling, it’s that the drawn-out congressional debate over the issue distracted GOP representatives from passing this monstrosity. (More…)

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Drilling On Up

Arctic Fox, via Billy Linblom/Flickr

The Obama Administration just gave the green light to Shell Oil’s Arctic drilling exploration plan, proving once again that oil companies are held to a different standard than everyone else.

In a statement BOEMRE (the offshore regulatory agency) said that they “found no evidence that the proposed action would significantly affect the quality of the human environment.” The final outcome is contingent on a few more approvals – for safety permits and other things – but most observers believe the point is clear: the government wants drilling to happen and is working hard to make that a reality.

But just this week the British government warned that several hundred tons of oil had likely leaked into the North Sea from a Royal Dutch Shell rig, the 11th reported incident since 2009.

So what’s the big deal? A lot of folks have pointed out the obvious: there’s no way Shell or any other company could control a blowout or clean up an oil spill in these conditions.

More on this story: AP

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Feeling Hot Hot Hot?

via Mr T in DC/Flickr

New data confirms what you already knew – July was incredibly hot, one of the warmest on record. Check out the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climatic Data Center recap of July 2011.

“We’ve had another unusually warm month and are on the way to another unusually hot year, but the reality is that these conditions are the new normals that we all need to get used to,” said Dr. Amanda Staudt, climate scientist with the National Wildlife Federation.

We’re on pace for the 35th consecutive year with global temperatures above the 20th century average. Some members of Congress may find the validity of climate change an inconvenient truth, but many U.S. cities are going above and beyond to mitigate it by lowering their carbon pollution and financing adaptation methods, for example, planting trees to increase shade to counter heat waves and elevating building foundations to account for projected sea level rise.

More on this story: Wildlife Promise, USA Today, NOAA’s State of the Climate

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DOE Panel Calls for Action on Fracking Impacts

Marcellus Shale, via Flickr/Marcellus Protest

The Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) Natural Gas Subcommittee recently called for better enforcement, oversight and transparency for the natural gas industry, including full disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking.’

“The chemicals used to extract natural gas through fracking are often a mystery for local communities and state and federal regulators, so we applaud the panel for recommending the public disclosure of fracking chemicals,” said Kate Zimmerman, senior policy advisor on public lands for the National Wildlife Federation. “But this recommendation is just a tiny first step. Congress, the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior and the EPA also need to move forward to close the gaping loopholes in our environmental laws the natural gas industry continues to exploit. Energy companies and government watchdogs need to balance economics and jobs with protecting wildlife, clean water, clean air and human health.”

The National Wildlife Federation is not opposed to the development of natural gas; however, any energy development must be done in an environmentally sound manner that does not place wildlife and people at risk.

More on this story: NWF Media Center

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Happening this Week

Congress is on summer recess until September 6th.

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For more global warming news on Wildlife Promise click here.

DOE Panel Calls for Action to Address Natural Gas Drilling Impacts

August 11 – The Secretary of Energy Advisory Board Natural Gas Subcommittee recently called for better enforcement, oversight and transparency for the natural gas industry, including full disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking.’

“The chemicals used to extract natural gas through fracking are often a mystery for local communities and state and federal regulators, so we applaud the panel for recommending the public disclosure of fracking chemicals,” said Kate Zimmerman, senior policy advisor on public lands for the National Wildlife Federation.

First-Ever Heavy Duty Rules Deliver Truckload of Savings

August 9 – President Obama unveiled the first-ever fuel efficiency standards for medium and heavy duty pickup trucks, vocational trucks, and combination tractors/semis. The proposed National Heavy Duty Program will save Americans $35 billion in fuel costs, cut 98 million barrels of oil consumption annually by 2030, and clear 246 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution from our skies.

“These standards will provide welcome fuel savings, budget relief, and pollution reduction to those who rely on heavy trucks to move America’s goods and people, haul equipment on the job, or tow a boat to the lake,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

Gulf “Dead Zone” Projected to be One of the Largest on Record

August 8 – As of mid-July, researchers from Texas A&M University had measured the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico to be more than 3,300 square miles. Fertilizer runoff from farms combined with the historically higher waters in the Mississippi River could make it grow to more than 9,400 square miles, making it the largest on record.

Nancy Rabalais, Ph. D., executive director and professor at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, said the “dead zone” in the Gulf is caused by nutrients from agricultural runoff.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• The Detroit News: Auto Industry Home to 151,000 ‘Green’ Jobs
• The Denver Post: Deer and antelope in Colorado’s northern mountains declining, study warns

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

Photo: Susan Lehman

Oil and natural gas may be valuable resources out West, but so are the area’s wildlife and outdoor heritage. Increased energy exploration, however, could make certain species much harder to find.

Mule deer, pronghorn antelopes, greater sage grouse, raptors and songbirds that depend on the sagebrush in the region are just some of the wildlife that could be seriously affected by oil and gas drilling.

Oil and Gas Companies Need to Disclose “Fracking” Chemicals

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a natural gas drilling process raising concerns about the health and safety of people and wildlife across the country.

Not only is the process highly destructive to wildlife habitat, but it can potentially leach toxins into rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater.

Unfortunately, in most cases, oil and gas companies don’t have to disclose the chemicals they use during fracking, which can include nasty ingredients like diesel fuel. Furthermore, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal authorities can’t fully regulate oil and gas companies because of exemptions in laws like the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act.

Members of Congress from Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and other states are trying to pass legislation to close loopholes that allow fracking chemicals to remain a mystery and a threat to animals, people and the environment. The National Wildlife Federation is also working to mitigate the impacts of energy exploration on America’s valuable natural landscapes before oh deer turns into no deer at all.

Help Protect Wildlife From Fracking

You can speak up to protect wildlife from the dangers of fracking or support National Wildlife Federation’s work on this and other important wildlife issues.

1. Highlight of the Week: One Year Later, What’s Working, and Who’s Not
2. Quote: Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ), former EPA administrator
3. Economic Story of the Week: NYC Studies Cost of Cutting 80 Percent GHGs
4. Editorial of the Week: Amid oil spills, melting ice and radiation, signs of hope on Earth Day
5. Spilled Toxins, Worth Crying Over
6. Report Card Day for Midwest Energy
7. 50 Stories in 50 States
8. Protecting a Vanishing Ecosystem
9. Happening this Week

Subscribe to the Climate Capsule RSS Feed to have your weekly update delivered automatically!

Highlight of the Week

One Year Later, What’s working, and Who’s Not

It’s difficult to believe that a whole year has passed since the Deepwater Horizon tragedy. While so much has happened – and yet so little in Congress – in the last year, it’s clear that the story of recovery in the Gulf is far from over.

Crews scrape oil out of marshes, via NWF

After introducing over 150 bills to improve offshore drilling safety, holding 60 hearings on fault and damage payment Congress has still yet to adopt any oil spill legislation.  House Natural Resources Committee chairman Doc Hastings marked the anniversary with a call to speed drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

But the President’s Oil Spill Commission and Congressmen and women including Steve Scalise (R-LA), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Kathy Castor (D-Fla), and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) are recommending that Congress should direct 80 percent of Clean Water Act fines from the disaster to support implementation of Gulf-wide coastal restoration.

At a news conference with Scalise and conservation leaders, National Wildlife Federation President and CEO Larry Schweiger said, “One year into the Gulf oil disaster, the oil is still here, the promises are forgotten, and Congress still hasn’t done its job. The only fair and right solution is for those fines to go to the Gulf region to help the people and communities hurt by the disaster.”

The National Wildlife Federation is already working with a number of organizations through grants and volunteer projects to help rebuild habitat on the Gulf Coast. With a spotlight shining on the region again this spring, now is the time for continued action to restore the Gulf. From planting native marsh grasses to restoring dunes to enhancing bird habitat, volunteers are making a difference in coastal Louisiana.

More on this: Reuters, CNN, Associated Press, PBS, Press-Register

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Quote:

Christine Todd Whitman

“Too often the debate about climate breaks down over cost, with many Americans rightfully concerned about what limiting pollution would do to our economy. There will be costs to our economic security from climate change—and significant ones at that—if we do nothing but continue with business as usual.”

-Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ), former EPA administrator.

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Economic Story of the Week

NYC Studies Cost of Cutting 80 Percent GHGs

NYC encourages alternative commuting, via Spencer T. on Flickr

Mayor Bloomberg is rolling out 132 new initiatives as part of PlaNYC to improve air and water quality and curb greenhouse gas emissions in New York City. The NYC government will undertake a study to determine the feasibility and cost of cutting greenhouse gas output by 80 percent by 2050.

Emissions are already 13 percent below 2007 levels due in part to improvements in transit systems, tree plantings as part of the Million Trees NYC project, encouraging bike commuting, and adding hundreds of acres of new open space and parks. The city also plans to create an “energy efficiency finance corporation” to fund building retrofits by using $37.5 million in federal stimulus spending.

These and other NYC initiatives to incorporate climate change projections into management programs are forward thinking in light of the newly released American Security Project reports, which analyze and project possible economic losses due to unmitigated climate change on a state-by-state basis. The “Pay Now, Pay Later” reports present the costly negative impacts that will affect communities, public health, national security, and the economy.

More on this story: Associated Press, ClimateWire, SustainableBusiness, Energy Matters

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Editorial of the Week

Amid oil spills, melting ice and radiation, signs of hope on Earth Day

(Miami Herald)

It takes careful peering through the fumes to discern the bright spots, yet they’re there: cleaner air, better gas mileage, new regulations against mercury pollution, more people trying to green up their lifestyles and more….The most interesting development of last year is the extraordinary event in the Gulf. The public paid attention and the media paid attention for weeks and months. But what is Congress doing? Mesmerized, the nation watched 200 million gallons of black gold gush out and smear priceless wetlands. (More…)

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Spilled Toxins, Worth Crying Over

On the one-year anniversary of the Gulf oil disaster, another energy industry spill contaminated streams and threatened water supplies in Pennsylvania.

A failure at a natural gas well owned by the Chesapeake Energy Corp., one of Pennsylvania’s biggest shale gas producers, spewed chemical-laced water into a nearby stream until workers stemmed the tide two days later. The well was plugged using a mixture of plastic, ground-up tires, and heavy mud, reminiscent of BP’s effort to seal its own gusher last year.

This accident, which caused the evacuation of local families, is sparking vociferous debate over hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and confirms concerns over the safety of drilling. The company has not yet determined the cause of the blowout and has suspended fracking on its wells in Pennsylvania as drilling techniques and possible water supply contamination are investigated.

More on this story: Reuters

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Report Card Day for Midwest Energy

According to a new report released by the National Wildlife Federation, the Midwest has all the tools to be a leader in the clean energy economy, but will need to step up its efforts to compete effectively in the new energy economy.

“Unfinished Business: What the Midwest Needs to do to Lead in the Clean Energy Economy” issues letter grades throughout the region, evaluating regional progress or shortfalls in meeting clean energy goals established by a bipartisan group of Midwestern governors and stakeholders in 2007 and 2009 to turn around the economic prospects of the region.

“The Midwest has seen some important successes—but overall is not reaching its potential to lead in the clean energy economy,” said Zoe Lipman, senior manager of transportation solutions at the National Wildlife Federation. “This report affirms that the Midwest has the natural resources, human capital, and sophisticated manufacturing base to lead in the clean energy economy. Our message to public officials: We have a roadmap. Let’s use it.”

The report finds that clean energy policies are already benefiting parts of the Midwest, creating thousands of jobs and generating revenue for cash-strapped cities. But the region needs to move much faster to become a leader in clean energy manufacturing and use.

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50 Stories in 50 States

In honor of Earth Day the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched a blog series of 50 stories for 50 consecutive weekdays that will explore how a quickly changing climate is impacting America’s fish and wildlife.

The series’ inaugural example features the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina. Once a nesting ground for loggerhead sea turtles, American oystercatchers, Wilson’s Plovers and terns, the sea has risen more than one foot in 100 years on one side while human population and urban development encroach on the other.

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Protecting a Vanishing Ecosystem

Prairie Potholes of the American Midwest, via USFWS Flickr

The National Wildlife Federation is suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a bid to protect America’s vanishing grasslands. The EPA is ignoring laws designed to protect the fragile ecosystem from harmful and unnecessary agricultural production.

The Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) created by Congress and implemented by the EPA requires a certain amount of transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain renewable fuel, such as corn ethanol. In crafting the RFS, Congress clearly recognizes the need to protect America’s grasslands by limiting biofuel feedstock production and harvesting to agricultural lands. In other words, natural ecosystems, like grasslands, are not supposed to be converted for agricultural uses. However, the EPA is flaunting this important provision by adopting an “aggregate compliance approach”, which allows protected ecosystems to be destroyed for biofuels production.

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Happening this Week

Congress is in recess until May 1.

Wednesday, April 27

Briefing Developing Sustainable Biomass Supplies: A Step toward Energy, Economic, and Environmental Security, Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) 2:00 – 3:30 p.m., 1302 Longworth House Office Building

Back to top For more global warming news on Wildlife Promise click here.

1. Highlight of the Week: Gulf Oil Disaster: One Year Into Recovery
2. Quote: Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org
3. Economic Story of the Week: Turning Brownfields into Wind Farms
4. Editorial of the Week: A year after the BP oil spill, what the Gulf Coast wants you to know
5. Attacking Fracking
6. Supreme Court Case: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, A Nuisance
7. This Just In: Lead Expert Takes Name off Climate Shift Report
8. More Threats from TransCanada
9. Happening this Week

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Highlight of the Week

Gulf Oil Disaster: One Year Into Recovery

This week is the one-year mark of the BP oil rig explosion that caused the largest spill in U.S. history. Four million barrels of oil bled into the Gulf, killing 11 workers, endangering wildlife, and severely impacting the economies of Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana.

Four million barrels of oil bled into the Gulf, killing 11 workers and endangering wildlife. (Via NWF)

The ocean ecology now faces a long road to recovery according to a National Wildlife Federation report that assesses the damage to wildlife and habitat.

But as Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes says, “It seems as though Congress has amnesia.” Lawmakers are nowhere nearer to taking action, and with the well plugged, pressure has faded.

At a news conference on Wednesday Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA), NWF President and CEO Larry Schweiger, and several other speakers will urge Congress to dedicate Clean Water Act fines to restore degraded coastal wetlands. A bipartisan group of Louisiana delegation members have introduced bills in both the Senate (RESTORE Act) and House (H.R. 56) that would dedicate 80 percent of CWA fines to restoring the Gulf Coast.

Unused CWA fines will be automatically deposited into the Federal Treasury. Clean Water Act fines are the most viable short-term funding stream to fulfill President Obama’s commitment last June “to restore the unique beauty and bounty of this region…[after] decades of environmental degradation that has led to disappearing wetlands and habitats.”

Contact Emily Guidry Schatzel, 225.253.9781, guidrye@nwf.org

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Quote:

Bill McKibben (Photo via Energy Action Coalition)

“We need to fight with unity, to speak with one loud voice. Because we are fighting for your future. So far we’ve raised the temperature of the Earth one degree. That one degree has melted the ice, it’s changed the oceans. Unless we act with great speed the one degree will be five before this century is out, and the world we leave behind will be a ruined one.

We fight not just for ourselves, but for the beauty of this place: for cool trout streams, and deep spruce woods, for chilly fog rising off the Pacific and deep snow quieting the mountains. We fight for all the rest of creation that shares this planet. A creation so rich that we don’t even know half the species on Earth that we’re wiping out.”

- Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org speaking to 10,000 young climate leaders at Power Shift 2011

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Economic Story of the Week

Turning Brownfields into Wind Farms

Photo via Patrick Briggs, Flickr

A new study by the Nature Conservancy finds that the nation could receive as much as 20 percent of its electricity from wind power without harming wildlife by siting turbines on already disturbed land parcels throughout the country, often dubbed brownfields.

The study proposes a balance between landscape qualities and energy production. By reusing an estimated 170 million acres of already disturbed land in 31 states, there is the potential to create 3.5 million megawatts of electricity, more than enough to meet Obama’s 20 percent by 2030 objective.

As the federal government places a greater emphasis on the impacts of wind farms on wildlife species the research argues that large-scale wind development, an important part of a cleaner energy future, could be done without sacrificing precious habitat.

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Editorial of the Week

A year after the BP oil spill, what the Gulf Coast wants you to know

(The Times-Picayune)

We have made great progress in our recovery. But we face steep challenges that warrant the country’s dedicated attention to ensure the long-term viability of our region.

Visiting journalists and officials should appreciate that repairing the environmental and economic damage of the spill — and making sure that BP makes it right — must remain a priority…This goal is insufficient unless long-term coastal restoration, particularly in Louisiana, is made a national priority…The state needs Congress to dedicate 80 percent of the Clean Water Act fines to be paid by BP and others responsible for the spill to help restore the communities and ecosystems of the Gulf. (More…)

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Attacking Fracking

According to a report released by senior House Democrats, the drilling fluids used to recover natural gas and oil from deep shale formations – a process called hydraulic fracturing –contain toxic substances that are known or possible human carcinogens. These substances, which include methanol, benzene, sulfuric acid and lead, are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act for their risks to human health or listed as hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Most fracturing or “fracking” is currently exempt from EPA regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Large deposits of shale gas discovered in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Texas and other states in the last few years have led to energy companies’ investment in developing these areas for natural gas, which has been touted as an energy method to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Fracking is the process of injecting a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals under extreme pressure into a well to fracture the shale rock, releasing the trapped natural gas. This gas has grown in popularity because it burns cleaner than oil or coal.

But a number of issues have been identified that are critical to water, wildlife, habitat and human health, that need to be considered as development of the industry proceeds. The unknown composition of the chemicals being used and their potential impact should they filter into our drinking water supply is just one of the many issues to consider when responsibly exploring natural gas. And a new study by Cornell University professors concludes that the drilling method may contribute to global warming even more than coal.

More on this story: WSJ, The Hill, Bloomberg, Associated Press

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Supreme Court Case: Greenhouse Gases, A Nuisance

Can states and other groups sue polluter power plants for contributing to global warming using federal ‘nuisance’ laws? This question will be addressed today in a Supreme Court case called American Electric Power Company v. Connecticut, a key global warming dispute.

Queens borough electric power generator (via Flickr, Vincent Desjardins)

The case began in 2004 when Connecticut and several other states and land trusts filed suit against large scale utilities such as American Electric Power, Southern Company, Cinergy, Xcel Energy, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, claiming they were causing harm to the environment and the health of residents. In a time when several members of Congress are trying to strip the EPA of its authority to regulate carbon pollution, this case could force utilities to cut emissions even if lawmakers successfully derail the Clean Air Act.

“States take the global warming threat very seriously because they see the harm that sea level rise, heat waves, intensified storms and other climate disruptions cause to their citizens and their natural resources,” said NWF vice president and attorney John Kostyack.

The Obama administration and the energy industry contend that this is the wrong way to deal with the complexities of climate change and argue the case should be thrown out as the EPA is currently moving forward to regulate emissions. But should Big Oil succeed in overthrowing EPA’s authority, the states and conservation groups do not want to lose the ability to litigate, a mechanism they’ve often used to successfully foster social change.

More on this story: Mother Jones

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This Just In: Lead Expert Takes Name off Climate Shift Report

A new report called Climate Shift: Clear Vision for the Next Decade of Public Debate is due to be released this week from American University. In the report Professor Matthew Nisbet claims environmentalists benefited from a financial edge and favorable media coverage during the debate over a clean energy and climate bill.

But ClimateProgress.com’s Joe Romm dismantles the report here, highlighting criticisms from leading expert Dr. Robert J. Brulle of Drexel University, who had his name pulled off the report’s list of expert paid reviewers last week. Brulle disagrees with many of the report’s conclusions and points to instances where Nisbet contradicts his own data. In addition to accusing Nisbet of using his name to “legitimate its contents,” Brulle told Romm, “I think it is really bad and I don’t want to be associated with it.”

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More Threats from TransCanada

TransCanada, the company plotting to build the Keystone XL pipeline that would ship Canadian crude oil to Gulf refineries through five U.S. states, has added another misstep to its history of deception and misdeeds. Under heavy pressure from U.S. Senator Mike Johanns and Nebraska landowners, they promised last summer that they would stop threatening landowners to put a pipeline on their land or face ”eminent domain” action that would forcibly take their land. Oops, they did it again.

In an April 7 letter to several landowners along the proposed route, TransCanada made what company official Tim M. Irons called, “our final offer” and wrote that if the land owner does not accept the offer within one month, the company “will initiate the eminent domain process.” It is just one more instance of trickery, going against their word, and bullying landowners in their extreme energy campaign that many have already rejected.

More on this story: Associated Press, NWF’s Wildlife Promise

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Happening this Week

Congress in Recess until May 1

Tuesday, April 19

“One year after the Gulf Oil Spill: Where do things stand with wildlife, seafood, and the cleanup?” Baird Auditorium (Ground Floor) Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, 6:30 PM, to watch the webcast: http://bit.ly/esSWjC

Thursday, April 21

News conference and Guided Boat Tours, One Year After BP Oil Spill:
10:30am-11:00am: News Conference, Myrtle Grove Marina, Myrtle Grove, Louisiana
11:15am-12:45am: Boat Tours depart marina, view damage in Barataria Bay & Bay Jimmy
9:30am-11:30am/1pm-3pm: Limited Aerial Tours depart marina to see Wax Lake Delta
Contact: Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, guidrye@nwf.org

Monday, April 25

Warming World: Impacts per Degree, Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 122 Cannon House Office Building, 2 PM-3:30 PM

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For more global warming news on Wildlife Promise click here.